Jacques-Louis David Analysis

There is a distinguished painting by Jacques-Louis David, titled Napoleon Crossing the Alps. This oil painting was painted at the end of the year 1800, glorifying napoleon’s march into the Alps to attack Austria, which occurred early that year. It is often viewed as a propaganda piece of his military power and achievements. Although the subsequent French victory in Austria was due to French reinforcements, Napoleon “was careful to appropriate all the glory to himself. In the painting, Napoleon and his horse dominate the space on the canvas, suggesting that “this man, whose achievements will be celebrated for centuries to come, can do just about anything.” This image represents the fundamental ideologies of Napoleon: propaganda and military might. He wanted to reinstate battle and war as the …show more content…
Napoleon’s atrophy and subsequent defeat resulted from his inability to understand the limits of his power. Miscalculations of economic warfare, mismanagement of Spain’s government and his botched attack on Russia were all deciding factors to end his sovereignty. “The downfall of the Continental System was inseparable from the fall of the Napoleonic regime.” This economic strategy was a risky gamble by Napoleon which adversely became a critical variable in his defeat. Despite all of Napoleon’s grand military wins, and territorial expansions, his power was truly limited when it came to understanding economic strategies. It was in November 1806 when Napoleon formally inaugurated a degree from Berlin, declaring that “The British Isles are in a state of blockade.” This meant that all goods belong to, or being exported from Britain were to be prohibited: “Trade and intercourse therewith are forbidden, and English mail shall be seized. English warehouses and merchandise and all property of English origin or ownership shall be seized as good prize. No vessel coming direct from England her colonies or having been there subsequent to this decree shall be